1. Field of Use
This invention relates generally to apparatus for washing animals, such as pets and livestock and particularly to such apparatus which includes an animal-receiving enclosure having liquid spraying nozzles therewithin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Presently, small animals such as dogs and cats are usually washed by hand either at home or at pet grooming shops. At home, washing is usually done in the bath tub, but this is time-consuming, difficult and unpleasant. Restraining the animal is difficult and the animal shakes itself and wets the surrounding area and the person doing the cleaning. Cleaning animals in a grooming shop is expensive and it is not practical to do this very often. Consequently, pets such as dogs aren't cleaned frequently and remain dirty, smelly and quite unpleasant to persons near them.
The prior art discloses several types of apparatus for washing animals, such as pets and livestock, and the following U.S. Pat. Nos. illustrate the state of the art: 4,083,328; 4,057,032; 4,056,078; 3,941,092; 3,884,191; 3,263,653; 3,023,734; 2,611,341; 2,536,943; and 2,438,979.
Several of these patents disclose rigid or flexible housings or enclosures wherein the animal is restrained with only its head protruding. Some also show mechanisms including spray heads in the enclosure, for directing liquid cleansing solutions and/or drying air at the animal. Some further show access openings in the enclosure whereby the person cleaning the animal can insert his or her hands or a scrub brush to exert a scrubbing action on the animal.
Such prior art apparatus still requires a lot of effort and movement and is time consuming and tiresome to use. It still requires exercise of incomplete and difficult methods, such the same as if the animal were still washed in the bathtub. Except for a better way of confining the animal, the prior art apparatus does not appear to encourage the owner to wash the animal more frequently and keep them clean.